RE: Extra Terrestrials

From: Higgo James <james.higgo.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2000 10:34:06 +0100

This is all way off-topic. Everyone in this thread is talking as if there
were a classical universe. The one thing we can all agree on is that there
isn't. There is no objective relationship between 'your present observer
moment' and any other, let alone 'us' and 'our descendants'.
James

> -----Original Message-----
> From: GSLevy.domain.name.hidden [SMTP:GSLevy.domain.name.hidden.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, 08 August, 2000 4:53 AM
> To: everything-list.domain.name.hidden
> Subject: Re: Extra Terrestrials
>
> In a message dated 08/07/2000 4:23:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> dude.domain.name.hidden writes:
>
> >
> > George, this is an error. There is no such thing as a special "knee"
> > of the exponential curve. For any exponential curve, the scale of
> > the vertical axis determines where the "knee" appears, and one can
> > select that scale to make the "knee" appear anywhere on the x-axis
> > that one desires. Try it!!
> >
>
> You are correct with regard the scaling property of exponentials. However,
> if
> you set up your scale such that you have a linear plot of scientific
> progress, you'll find that the X axis looks like an inverted log scale.
> All I
> wanted to say is that we'll change far too much between the beginning of
> radio and the end of the 21 century to remain at the "same level."
> Civilizations belonging to such different levels may be too different to
> have
> a constructive dialogue. Think of the havoc in the culture of primitive
> tribes after their contact with Europeans. Because of this log
> relationship,
> 5000 years then may be equivalent to 100 years now. What matters is the
> time
> interval between the beginning of radio and the onset of the next level,
> allowing either a gradual or discrete transition from one level to the
> next.
>
> George Levy
Received on Tue Aug 08 2000 - 02:36:46 PDT